Dr. Mildred (Millie) Embree, DMD, PhD, MS earned her DMD and PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology through the Dental Scientist Training Program at the Medical University of South Carolina. During the eight-year program, she completed four years of graduate research training at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), in Bethesda, Maryland, focusing on skeletal and extracellular matrix biology. She subsequently completed postdoctoral training in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and earned her Certificate and Master of Science in Orthodontics at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
Prior to joining the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Embree served on the faculty at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine as a tenured Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Craniofacial Research, where she established an NIH-funded research program in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) biology, skeletal biology, osteoarthritis, and regenerative medicine. In addition to leading her research program, she maintains an active orthodontic practice, bringing a clinician-scientist perspective to research, education, and patient care.
Dr. Embree is an internationally recognized orthodontist-scientist and leader in TMJ research. For more than two decades, her career has integrated TMJ and skeletal biology, translational research, and biomedical innovation to advance the understanding of joint development, degeneration, and regeneration. She has served in numerous national leadership roles, including appointments to NIH study sections, leadership positions within the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR), and national committees dedicated to advancing the dentist-scientist workforce and dental research.
Her research integrates stem cell biology, skeletal development, TMJ biology, bioinformatics, biomaterials, tissue engineering, and therapeutic development to understand the mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal disease and to develop regenerative therapies for osteoarthritis and temporomandibular disorders. Continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies, her work has resulted in high-impact publications, invited national and international lectures, patents, and NIH Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards that have advanced regenerative therapeutics toward clinical translation. She is committed to mentoring and educating the next generation of clinicians and clinician-scientists and helping shape the future of orthodontics through scientific discovery, innovation, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
PhD, Molecular & Cell Biology, College of Graduate Studies, Medical University of South Carolina
DMD, College of Dental Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
MS and Certificate, Orthodontics, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine